Electronic device

ABSTRACT

An electronic device includes a host, a main display, an auxiliary display, and a hinge mechanism. The auxiliary display is located between the host and the main display and includes a sliding part and a lifting part. The sliding part is slidably connected to the host. The hinge mechanism includes a first bracket, a second bracket pivotally connected to the first bracket, and a third bracket pivotally connected to the second bracket. The first bracket is secured to the host, and the second bracket is secured to the main display. The third bracket is secured to the lifting part of the auxiliary display.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application is a continuation application of and claims thepriority benefit of U.S. application Ser. No. 17/541,263, filed on Dec.3, 2021, now allowed, which claims the priority benefit of U.S.application Ser. No. 16/889,721, filed on Jun. 1, 2020, now U.S. Pat.No. 11,226,651, which claims the priority benefit of Taiwan applicationserial no. 108148387, filed on Dec. 30, 2019. The entirety of each ofthe above-mentioned patent applications is hereby incorporated byreference herein and made a part of this specification.

BACKGROUND Technical Field

The disclosure relates to an electronic device, and more particularly,to an electronic device including a main display and an auxiliarydisplay.

Description of Related Art

Notebook computers characterized by multiplexing capabilities, highcomputing performance, and portability have become indispensable tomodern people. Generally speaking, the notebook computer includes a hostand a display, wherein the display is pivotally connected to the host,and a keyboard assembly is integrated to the host.

To improve operation flexibility for users, a notebook computer havingan auxiliary display integrated to the host has been launched. Indetail, the auxiliary display and the keyboard assembly are located onthe same working plane, and the auxiliary display and the keyboardassembly are juxtaposed. Since the angle and the height of the auxiliarydisplay cannot be adjusted in most cases, it often brings inconvenienceto the users as well as easily causes eye fatigue.

SUMMARY

The disclosure provides an electronic device characterized by operationflexibility.

According to an embodiment of the disclosure, an electronic deviceincluding a host, a main display, an auxiliary display, and a hingemechanism is provided. The auxiliary display is located between the hostand the main display and includes a sliding part and a lifting part. Thesliding part is slidably connected to host. The hinge mechanism includesa first bracket, a second bracket pivotally connected to the firstbracket, and a third bracket pivotally connected to the second bracket.The first bracket is secured to the host, and the second bracket issecured to the main display. The third bracket is secured to the liftingpart of the auxiliary display.

Based on the above, the auxiliary display is integrated into theelectronic device provided in one or more embodiments of the disclosure,and the angle and the height of the auxiliary display are adjustable, sothat users may easily operate the auxiliary display, and that users'comfort of using the auxiliary display may be improved.

Several exemplary embodiments accompanied with figures are described indetail below to further describe the disclosure in details.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The accompanying drawings are included to provide a furtherunderstanding of the disclosure, and are incorporated in and constitutea part of this specification. The drawings illustrate embodiments of thedisclosure and, together with the description, serve to explain theprinciples described herein.

FIG. 1 is a schematic partial side view of an electronic device in afolded state according to an embodiment of the disclosure.

FIG. 2 is a schematic partial side view of an electronic device in afirst unfolded state according to an embodiment of the disclosure.

FIG. 3 is a schematic partial side view of an electronic device in asecond unfolded state according to an embodiment of the disclosure.

DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS

FIG. 1 is a schematic partial side view of an electronic device in afolded state according to an embodiment of the disclosure. FIG. 2 is aschematic partial side view of an electronic device in a first unfoldedstate according to an embodiment of the disclosure. FIG. 3 is aschematic partial side view of an electronic device in a second unfoldedstate according to an embodiment of the disclosure. With reference toFIG. 1 and FIG. 2 , in this embodiment, an electronic device 100 may bea notebook computer and includes a host 110, a main display 120, anauxiliary display 130, and a hinge mechanism 140. The host 110 isconfigured to perform logical operations, signal control, and dataaccess, and the main display 120 and auxiliary display 130 areelectrically connected to the host 110. On the other hand, the maindisplay 120 and the auxiliary display 130 are configured to displayimages, and the auxiliary display 130 may be integrated with a touchfunction to facilitate users' operations. In other exemplaryembodiments, the main display 120 may be integrated with the touchfunction.

The main display 120 is connected to the host 110 through the hingemechanism 140 to be rotatably folded or unfolded with respect to thehost 110. On the other hand, the auxiliary display 130 is connected tothe main display 120 through the hinge mechanism 140. When the maindisplay 120 is rotatably folded or unfolded with respect to the host110, the hinge mechanism 140 drives the auxiliary display 130 to ascendor descend with respect to the host 110.

When the main display 120 is in a folded state as shown in FIG. 1 , themain display 120 covers the host 110, and the auxiliary display 130 islocated between the main display 120 and the host 110. On the otherhand, a display surface 120 a of the main display 120 faces a displaysurface 130 a of the auxiliary display 130, and the display surface 120a of the main display 120 and the display surface 130 a of the auxiliarydisplay 130 are hidden inside, so as to protect the display surface 120a of the main display 120 and the display surface 130 a of the auxiliarydisplay 130 from being damaged by external forces or foreign objects.

As shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2 , in this embodiment, the auxiliarydisplay 130 includes a sliding part 131 and a lifting part 132, whereinthe sliding part 131 is slidably connected to the host 110, and thelifting part 132 is connected to the hinge mechanism 140. In detail, thehinge mechanism 140 includes a first bracket 141, a second bracket 142pivotally connected to the first bracket 141, and a third bracket 143pivotally connected to the second bracket 142, wherein the first bracket141 is secured to the host 110, and the second bracket 142 is secured tothe main display 120. On the other hand, the third bracket 143 issecured to the lifting part 132 of the auxiliary display 130. When themain display 120 is rotatably folded or unfolded with respect to thehost 110, the second bracket 142 is rotated with respect to the firstbracket 141 and drives the third bracket 143, so that the third bracket143 is driven to move the auxiliary display 130 up or down with respectto the host 110 and move the auxiliary display 130 to slide with respectto the host 110.

During the process of folding and unfolding the main display 120 withrespect to the host 110, the hinge mechanism 140 may synchronously drivethe auxiliary display 130 to ascend or descend. Therefore, from theusers' perspective, the operation of the electronic device 100 is simpleand intuitive. In another aspect, the angle and the height of theauxiliary display 130 are adjustable, so that users may easily operatethe auxiliary display 130, and that users' comfort of using theauxiliary display 130 may be improved.

The host 110 includes a keyboard assembly 111, and the keyboard assembly111 and the auxiliary display 130 are juxtaposed. The hinge mechanism140 is away from the keyboard assembly 111. Further, the sliding part131 is close to the keyboard assembly 111, and the lifting part 132 isaway from the keyboard assembly 111. That is, the sliding part 131 islocated between the keyboard assembly 111 and the lifting part 132. Inanother aspect, the host 110 has a first groove 112 for accommodatingthe auxiliary display 130, and the first groove 112 and the keyboardassembly 111 are juxtaposed. This is conducive to the improvement of theappearance integrity of the electronic device 100, so as to comply withthe product requirements for thin design.

The keyboard assembly 111 has an operation surface 111 a. When theauxiliary display 130 is disposed in the first groove 112, the displaysurface 130 a of the auxiliary display 130 is coplanar with or slightlylower than the operation surface 111 a of the keyboard assembly 111, soas to prevent the main display 120 covering the host 110 from squeezingthe auxiliary display 130.

In this embodiment, the hinge mechanism 140 further includes a firstrotation axle 144 and a second rotation axle 145, and the first rotationaxle 144 and the second rotation axle 145 are parallel to each other. Indetail, the second bracket 142 is pivotally connected to the firstbracket 141 through the first rotation axle 144, and the third bracket143 is pivotally connected to the second bracket 142 through the secondrotation axle 145. For instance, the first rotation axle 144 and thesecond rotation axle 145 are integrated with torque accessories, so asto prevent the main display 120 and the auxiliary display 130 fromfalling instantly.

Please refer to FIG. 1 to FIG. 3 . When the main display 120 rotateswith respect to the host 110 and is unfolded, the position of the firstrotation axle 144 remains unchanged. The first rotation axle 144 servesas the rotation reference axle of the second bracket 142, and the secondbracket 142 rotates along a first rotation direction R1 with respect tothe first bracket 141 (i.e., the main display 120 rotates along thefirst rotation direction R1 with respect to the host 110). At the sametime, the second bracket 142 drives the third bracket 143 to be liftedwith respect to the host 110, and drives the lifting part 132 of theauxiliary display 130.

While the third bracket 143 and the auxiliary part 132 of the auxiliarydisplay 130 are being lifted with respect to the host 110, the secondrotation axle 145 gradually moves up and away from the keyboard assembly111, and the sliding part 131 of the auxiliary display 130 slides withrespect to the host 110 and moves away from the keyboard assembly 111.The second rotation axle 145 serves as the rotation reference axle ofthe third bracket 143. The third bracket 143 is configured to rotatealong a second rotation direction R2 with respect to the second bracket142 (i.e., the auxiliary display 130 rotates along the second rotationdirection R2 with respect to the main display 120), and the secondrotation direction R2 is opposite to the first rotation direction R1.

In a first unfolded state shown in FIG. 2 , the auxiliary display 130has the maximum lifting angle and the maximum lifting height, and thesecond rotation axle 145 is located at the highest point in the entiremovement path. If the main display 120 is continuously rotated in thefirst rotation direction R1 with respect to the host 110, the liftingpart 132 of the auxiliary display 130 is rotated in the second rotationdirection R2 with respect to the main display 120 and slightly sinks toprevent the display surface 120 a of the main display 120 from beingblocked, and the sliding part 131 of the auxiliary display 130 continuesto slide away from the keyboard assembly 111, as shown in FIG. 3 .

During the transition from the first unfolded state shown in FIG. 2 to asecond unfolded state shown in FIG. 3 , the second rotation axle 145descends from the highest point and continues to move away from thekeyboard assembly 111.

As shown in FIG. 1 to FIG. 3 , in this embodiment, the electronic device100 further includes a sliding mechanism 150, and the sliding mechanism150 is disposed between the auxiliary display 130 and the host 110. Indetail, the sliding mechanism 150 includes a pivoting member 151 and asliding member 152, wherein the pivoting member 151 is pivotallyconnected to the host 110, and a pivoting point where the pivotingmember 151 is pivotally connected to the host 110 is close to thekeyboard assembly 111. The sliding member 152 is slidably connected tothe pivoting member 151, and the sliding member 152 is connected to thesliding part 131 of the auxiliary display 130. While the auxiliarydisplay 130 is ascending or descending, the auxiliary display 130 drivesthe pivoting member 151 to rotate with respect to the host 110 and toslide with respect to the pivoting member 151 through the sliding member152, so as to slide away from or close to the keyboard assembly 111.

Further, the pivoting member 151 includes a base 151 a and a gear 151 b,one end of the base 151 a is pivotally connected to the host 110, andthe gear 151 b is pivoted to the other end of the base 151 a. In anotheraspect, the sliding member 152 is located on one side of the auxiliarydisplay 130 facing against the display surface 130 a, and the slidingmember 152 includes a rack 152 a. The rack 152 a is fixed to the slidingpart 131 of the auxiliary display 130, and the gear 151 b is engagedwith the rack 152 a.

According to this embodiment, the host 110 further has a second groove113 communicating with the first groove 112, and the second groove 113is connected to a bottom surface of the first groove 112. The secondgroove 113 is configured to accommodate the sliding mechanism 150 andcan comply with the product requirements for thin design. In anotheraspect, the host 110 also includes a heat dissipating part 114 locatedin the first groove 112. The heat dissipating part 114 is located on oneside of the second groove 113, and the auxiliary display 130 overlapsthe heat dissipating part 114. After the auxiliary display 130 islifted, the heat dissipating part 114 is exposed to the outside, so asto improve heat dissipation efficiency.

To sum up, the auxiliary display is integrated into the electronicdevice provided in one or more embodiments of the disclosure, and theangle and the height of the auxiliary display are adjustable, so thatusers may easily operate the auxiliary display, and that users' comfortof using the auxiliary display may be improved. Furthermore, during theprocess of folding and unfolding the main display with respect to thehost, the hinge mechanism drives the auxiliary display to ascend ordescend with respect to the host and to slide with respect to the host,and thus the operation is simple and intuitive. In other words, theusers need not manually adjust the angle and the height of the auxiliarydisplay. In another aspect, when the auxiliary display is lifted withrespect to the host, the heat dissipating part of the host is exposed tothe outside, so as to improve heat dissipation efficiency.

It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that variousmodifications and variations can be made to the disclosed embodimentswithout departing from the scope or spirit of the disclosure. In view ofthe foregoing, it is intended that the disclosure covers modificationsand variations provided that they fall within the scope of the followingclaims and their equivalents.

What is claimed is:
 1. An electronic device, comprising: a host; a maindisplay; an auxiliary display, located between the host and the maindisplay, and is slidably connected to the host; and a hinge mechanism,pivotally connecting the main display with the host and pivotallyconnecting the auxiliary display with the main display, wherein thehinge mechanism comprises a first rotation axle located in the maindisplay and a second rotation axle located in the auxiliary display, theauxiliary display is lifted and slides with the second rotation axlewith respect to the host during the main display rotating with respectto the host, the second rotation axle gradually moves up and away fromthe host during the main display rotating with respect to the host,wherein the second rotation axle moves up to a highest point and thendescends from the highest point, and the second rotation axle continuesto move away from the host after descending from the highest point. 2.The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein the first rotationaxle and the second rotation axle are parallel to each other.
 3. Theelectronic device according to claim 1, wherein a position of the firstrotation axle remains unchanged during the main display rotating withrespect to the host.
 4. The electronic device according to claim 1,wherein the hinge mechanism further comprises a first bracket, a secondbracket pivotally connected to the first bracket through the firstrotation axle, and a third bracket pivotally connected to the secondbracket through the second rotation axle, wherein the first bracket issecured to the host, the second bracket is secured to the main display,and the third bracket is secured to the auxiliary display.
 5. Theelectronic device according to claim 4, wherein the auxiliary displaycomprises a sliding part and a lifting part, the sliding part isslidably connected to the host, and the third bracket is secured to thelifting part.
 6. The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein theauxiliary display comprises a sliding part and a lifting part, thesliding part is slidably connected to the host, and the second rotationaxle is located in the lifting part, the lifting part is lifted and thendescend with the second rotation axle with respect to the host duringthe main display rotating with respect to the host.
 7. The electronicdevice according to claim 1, further comprising: a sliding mechanismdisposed between the auxiliary display and the host, wherein the slidingmechanism comprises a pivoting member and a sliding member, the pivotingmember is pivotally connected to the host, the sliding member isslidably connected to the pivoting member, and the sliding member isconnected to the auxiliary display.
 8. The electronic device accordingto claim 7, wherein the host has a first groove and a second groovecommunicating with the first groove, the first groove is configured toaccommodate the auxiliary display, and the second groove is configuredto accommodate the sliding mechanism.
 9. The electronic device accordingto claim 7, wherein the pivoting member comprises a base and a gearpivoted to the base, the base is pivotally connected to the host, thesliding member comprises a rack, the rack is fixed to the auxiliarydisplay, and the gear is engaged with the rack.
 10. The electronicdevice according to claim 1, wherein the host comprises a keyboardassembly, the keyboard assembly and the auxiliary display arejuxtaposed.
 11. The electronic device according to claim 10, wherein thehost has a groove, the groove and the keyboard assembly are juxtaposed,the auxiliary display has a display surface, the keyboard assembly hasan operation surface, the auxiliary display is disposed in the groove,and the display surface is coplanar with the operation surface.
 12. Theelectronic device according to claim 1, wherein the host has a groove,and the auxiliary display is disposed in the groove.
 13. The electronicdevice according to claim 12, wherein the host comprises a heatdissipating part located in the groove, and the auxiliary displayoverlaps the heat dissipating part.
 14. The electronic device accordingto claim 1, wherein a rotation direction of the main display is oppositeto a rotation direction of the auxiliary display.